Theresa May's fascination with footwear seems to have rubbed off on the fast fashion brand

Streamlined, good-for-the-office clothes were the fashion norm at Topshop – give or take a zebra patterned dress and a hot pink coat.

Maybe it was the absence of Sir Philip Green, the fashion tycoon who has been backing young British fashion designers but is now heavily criticised for his handling of the sale of other investments.

Or could it be that Theresa May, the UK’s post-Brexit Prime Minister, has made her thumb mark on fashion? Or should that be “foot stamp”?

Known for striking animal print or scarlet lip-patterned shoes worn with her bland, boardroom wardrobe, May was open about her love of footwear when she invited a fashion crowd to 10 Downing Street to celebrate London Fashion Week.

“I am proud to say that our British fashion industry is a global leader in trade, creativity and innovation. The value of UK fashion exports was £5.8bn in 2015 with British brands such as Burberry, Alexander McQueen and Sophia Webster in demand by international markets including the USA, Japan, France and Italy.”

On her feet were the red lip pumps.

Perhaps Topshop is angling for the Prime Minister as a customer, as the stand out at the show was footwear – mostly medium back-to-the-1980’s suede pumps in bright colours. Orange boots and the closed-in shoes were worn with short skirts, maybe longer in side slit PVC.